Royals Minor League Report (7/25): Vanek's Two Homers And Van Dam's Seven Strikeouts Give Columbia The Only Win

JC Vanek homered twice and drove in three, backing Shane Van Dam's seven-strikeout start as Columbia handled Kannapolis. Kendry Chourio allowed one run over six innings for Quad Cities and lost anyway. Oscar Rayo threw three hitless innings in relief for Northwest Arkansas, and Steven Zobac struck out four. Gavin Cross and Brett Squires homered for Omaha, but Easton McGee surrendered five runs in the seventh. Three affiliates came up short, and only Columbia won.

Kansas City Royals Transactions

• Kansas City Royals traded CF Kameron Misner to Philadelphia Phillies for cash.

Cross And Squires Homer, But Omaha Falls In Salt Lake

Two Omaha home runs were not enough in Salt Lake, and the Storm Chasers lost 8-4.

Mitch Spence gave Omaha five innings, allowing five hits and two runs, only one of them earned, with two walks and six strikeouts. He handed off with Omaha trailing by a run.

The Storm Chasers scored first in the second. Matthew Lugo led off with a double to center, Squires grounded out to move him to third, and Abraham Toro lifted a sacrifice fly to right that brought Lugo home. Salt Lake answered in the bottom half and took the lead in the fourth on a run that scored after a throwing error by Luca Tresh and a fielding error by Peyton Wilson.

Cross pulled Omaha even again in the sixth with his ninth home run, a drive to right-center.

The seventh ended up being the deciding inning for the Storm Chasers. 

McGee retired the first two hitters, then allowed a double, an RBI single, a two-run home run, and a solo home run before striking out the last batter of the inning, and Salt Lake led 7-2. McGee finished with two innings, six hits, five runs, no walks, two strikeouts, and two home runs allowed.

Omaha got two back in the eighth. John Rave drew a one-out walk, and Squires hit his 15th home run to right-center.

Scott Barlow then allowed a leadoff home run in the bottom of the inning and finished with one inning, two hits, one run, and one strikeout.

Cross went 2-for-4 with a run and an RBI. Lugo was 1-for-4 with a double and a run. Omaha finished with eight hits, two walks, 10 strikeouts, and six left on base. They went 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position.

The Storm Chasers are now 47-53 for the season. 

Oscar Rayo's Hitless Relief Goes To Waste As Naturals Are Shut Out

Northwest Arkansas managed six hits and three walks at home, and lost 3-0 to Springfield.

Zobac, the Royals' No. 19 prospect, worked five innings and gave up six hits, two runs, both earned, with no walks, four strikeouts, and two home runs. The first was a leadoff home run to center that opened the game, and the second was a solo shot to right in the fifth.

The Cardinals got their last run in the sixth.

Frank Mozzicato gave up a leadoff single, another single that moved the runner to third, and then a double play grounder that scored the run while erasing two runners. Mozzicato walked two more before ending the inning, and his line read one inning, two hits, one run, and two walks.

Rayo, recently optioned from Omaha, followed with three hitless innings, walking one and hitting one, with a strikeout. He also got two double-play grounders, and Springfield never moved a runner into scoring position against him. Rayo was also helped by some stellar defense by the Naturals infield. 

The Naturals could not finish an inning on a scoring note.

In the seventh, Jorge Alfaro singled with one out and Omar Hernandez singled behind him, but Alberto Rodriguez struck out to strand them. In the ninth, Alfaro singled again, Hernandez was hit by a pitch, but Rodriguez struck out to end the game.

Alfaro went 2-for-4, Hernandez was 2-for-2 with a walk and a hit by pitch, and No. 9 prospect Carson Roccaforte was 1-for-4 with a single in the eighth. Daniel Vazquez drew two of the team's three walks. Northwest Arkansas struck out 10 times, grounded into two double plays, and left eight on base. They went 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position.

The loss dropped the Naturals' record to 40-53. 

Chourio Allows One Run, But River Bandits Strand Ten In Beloit

Quad Cities drew eight walks in Beloit and did not score in a 1-0 loss.

Chourio, the Royals' No. 1 prospect, gave the River Bandits six innings and allowed four hits and one run, with no walks, four strikeouts, and one hit batter. It was an impressive performance after his no-hit outing in his last start (he and Emmanuel Reyes combined for a no-hitter). 

The only run against him came on a leadoff home run to right in the sixth. Tommy Molsky followed with two innings, one hit, and no runs.

The offense had chances and could not finish them. In the seventh, Derlin Figueroa struck out, Jose Cerice walked, Tyriq Kemp singled to third, and Trevor Werner walked to load the bases. Angel Acosta struck out and Nolan Sailors grounded out to short, and the River Bandits came away with nothing.

The eighth followed the same shape. No. 8 prospect Asbel Gonzalez lined out, No. 4 prospect Blake Mitchell singled to right, Chris Brito singled to center to put runners at first and second, and Derlin Figueroa flied out. Jose Cerice walked to load the bases again, and Tyriq Kemp struck out to end the inning.

Quad Cities put at least one runner on in six of the nine innings, including two on with two outs in the first, and never got one home.

Mitchell went 1-for-3 with a hit by pitch, Brito was 1-for-3 with a walk, and Kemp was 1-for-4. Cerice walked three times, and Werner walked twice. Those three hits were all the River Bandits managed against Beloit pitching, and they struck out 10 times and left 10 on base. They struggled with ducks on the pond, going 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position. 

Quad Cities falls to under .500 with the loss. They are now 45-46. 

Vanek's Two Home Runs Carry Columbia Past Kannapolis

Vanek hit two home runs and drove in three, and Columbia beat Kannapolis 5-1 at home.

Starter Van Dam took the win with 6 2/3 innings of one-run ball. He allowed four hits, walked one, struck out seven, and gave up a solo home run in the fifth.

Columbia opened the scoring in the second. Jhosmmel Zue walked to lead off, and Vanek followed with his ninth home run, a two-run drive to right-center.

Hyungchan Um singled, Roni Cabrera was hit by a pitch, and Angel Ramirez moved both up with a sacrifice bunt, but Ivan Sosa's fielder's choice cut down Um at third, and Cabrera was thrown out at the plate to end the inning.

The fourth was the decisive one for the Fireflies.

Zue struck out to start it, but then Vanek hit his 10th home run to left.

Um walked, Cabrera singled to left to put runners at second and third, and Ramirez singled to left to score both. Ramirez was thrown out at second trying to stretch it, and Sosa struck out, but Columbia led 5-0.

Van Dam retired the first 12 hitters he faced, and left in the seventh with two on and two outs after a strikeout. Dash Albus got the last out of that inning, Brandon Herbold worked the eighth with two strikeouts, and Yeri Perez finished the ninth without allowing a hit.

Vanek went 2-for-4 with two runs. Ramirez was 1-for-2 with two RBI, Um was 1-for-2 with a walk and a run, and Cabrera was 1-for-2 with a run. Yandel Ricardo, the Royals' No. 11 prospect, walked twice. Columbia had five hits, four walks, and three left on base. They went 1-for-4 with runners in scoring position. 

The Fireflies improved to 50-45 with the win. They sit in fourth place in the South Division of the Carolina League. 

Top-20 Prospect Performance

1. Kendry Chourio: 6 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 4 K
2. David Shields: DNP
3. Josh Hammond: 0-for-4, 3 K
4. Blake Mitchell: 1-for-3
5. Sean Gamble: 0-for-4, 1 K
6. Ramon Ramirez: DNP
7. Zion Rose: DNP
8. Asbel Gonzalez: 0-for-3, BB, 2 K
9. Carson Roccaforte: 1-for-4
10. Taylor Rabe: DNP
11. Yandel Ricardo: 0-for-2, 2 BB
12. Justin Lamkin: DNP
13. Drew Beam: DNP
14. Michael Lombardi: DNP
15. Jack Slightom: DNP
16. Felix Arronde: DNP
17. Angeibel Gomez: 1-for-3, R, RBI, SB
18. Ben Kudrna: DNP
19. Steven Zobac: 5 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 4 K
20. Blake Wolters: DNP

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